Difference between revisions of "Team:Edinburgh UG/Design"
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| + | <h2 style="text-align:left">Why Do We Need Maxicells?</h2> | ||
| + | <p style="text-align:left">Bacteria and other unicellular prokaryotes may seem somewhat insignificant in the ecosystems we see around us. How can something so small have any influence on the | ||
| + | hugely complex multicellular life sharing the environment. We (think we) know all about the bacteria involved in the nitrogen cycle, carbon cycle - bacterial species that we know have a | ||
| + | direct affect on the anthropogenic sphere. But what about microbial species that are not directly involved in these processes, should we be concerned about the effects that human activity | ||
| + | have on them if it will have no effect on us? The answer is yes. Recent studies in metagenomics have revealed a complex network of dynamic interactions in microbial communities. Species that | ||
| + | were previously thought to be unimportant have been found to impact these processes by providing services to those species performing the key, central reactions. With this knowledge...</p> | ||
| + | <p style="text-align:left">A series of ‘what ifs’. So we have an instructor plasmid in our maxicells. The maxicell has been released into the environment. How do we prevent our maxicells, and | ||
| + | the genetic material they contain, from influencing the finely balanced dynamics in a natural bacterial community, other than the carefully planned effect that is intended?</p> | ||
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Revision as of 20:31, 14 October 2018
Project Design
Why Do We Need Maxicells?
Bacteria and other unicellular prokaryotes may seem somewhat insignificant in the ecosystems we see around us. How can something so small have any influence on the hugely complex multicellular life sharing the environment. We (think we) know all about the bacteria involved in the nitrogen cycle, carbon cycle - bacterial species that we know have a direct affect on the anthropogenic sphere. But what about microbial species that are not directly involved in these processes, should we be concerned about the effects that human activity have on them if it will have no effect on us? The answer is yes. Recent studies in metagenomics have revealed a complex network of dynamic interactions in microbial communities. Species that were previously thought to be unimportant have been found to impact these processes by providing services to those species performing the key, central reactions. With this knowledge...
A series of ‘what ifs’. So we have an instructor plasmid in our maxicells. The maxicell has been released into the environment. How do we prevent our maxicells, and the genetic material they contain, from influencing the finely balanced dynamics in a natural bacterial community, other than the carefully planned effect that is intended?
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